


Shadows of the Past

by Braincoins



Category: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power
Genre: Angst, Bet you didn't see THIS coming, F/F, Written before Season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 11:08:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16617806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Braincoins/pseuds/Braincoins
Summary: Castaspella was happy that Light Spinner was appointed Great One of Mystacor. She thought the future was bright for her and her best friend (and secret lover). But then a shadow was cast.





	Shadows of the Past

**Author's Note:**

> I literally picked two characters from the new She-Ra and thought, "Could I do this?" And, guess what? I CAN. Like... there's NOTHING in the show to support these two as a ship, but I'm doing it anyway. 
> 
> Castaspinner for the shipname! Shadowcast if you ship Shadow Weaver (as she is now, after all) and Castaspella.
> 
> Also, my headcanon is that, on Eternia, the tradition is that you choose your own name when you reach a certain age - thus the mention of "nameday" (and the fact that all the princesses' names are so freaking ON POINT).  
> ========

            Joy upon joy! It seemed the universe was drowning her in happiness. First, her beloved older brother, Micah, had married his true love, the immortal Angella, princess and future queen of Bright Moon. Casta had been so happy for them and the wedding had been so beautiful! (Wonderful cake, too, it had to be said.)

            He’d had to give up his position as head of Mystacor though, in order to go live in Bright Moon with his new bride. That had been a little sad, but it was short-lived as Light Spinner was then elected to take his place! And now, here they were, at her confirmation: she would be head of Mystacor, forever be a Great One in history, and a statue of her would be erected in the Hall of Sorcerers!

            Castaspella practically glowed with pride and happiness. Light Spinner was her best friend, her closest confidant. They’d worked hard for a day just like this, and it was finally here! All those hours of training together, of studying and sharing knowledge, of learning and working and… oh, it was all paying off right here, right now! Casta was, if she was being honest, a little jealous that it was Spinner and not her. She’d worked just as hard! But Spinner would be a great leader.

            She turned to face the students and staff of Mystacor, newly-anointed as their ruler. She was wearing her veil, of course, but Casta could see the crinkle of her tear-bright eyes, and it made Casta a bit weepy, too. “Light Spinner the Great One!” she cheered, and the crowd joined in with her.

            There was feasting and dancing and jubilation within the halls. Explosions of dazzling magic overhead, tables laden near to breaking with gorgeous treats and sparkling drinks. Casta hadn’t been this excited since her nameday. Even the darkening sky could not stop the celebrations. Magical lights twinkled everywhere, and the music became, if anything, louder and more raucous.

            Casta was finishing her fifth glass of starwine when someone latched onto her wrist and pulled her away into an alcove. She started to shriek in surprise, but a hand covered her mouth.

            “Shh! It’s me!” The hand loosened warily.

            “Spinner,” she hissed, giggling. “What are you doing, sneaking around like a thief? This is _your_ party, _your_ day! Mystacor is your domain now!”

            The hands fell away entirely and Casta turned to find her new leader casting her eyes about warily. “I know, but… I wanted to talk to you in private.”

            Casta grinned. “Just wanted to get me alone, huh?” She giggled again.

            “Um… kind of. But that’s what I wanted to talk to you about, too.”

            That broke through her tipsiness a bit. “Huh? Spin, you okay?”

            “ _Please_ can we just go somewhere to talk?”

            “Sure. Let’s go to your new bedroom.”

            She could see the blush come up over the top of Spinner’s veil. “Casta, I’m being serious.”

            “So am I,” she replied. “Can you think of a more private place? Who would dare barge into the leader’s bedroom?”

            Spinner thought a moment, then nodded. “Very well. This way.”

            “I know the way,” she said. “I’ve been in the Great One’s bedroom before.”

            “Right, your brother. Light only knows what mischief you two cooked up in there.”

            “Not half as much as what you and I have concocted,” she said as they walked. “Remember when we turned the entire junior class’s hair different colors?”

            Spinner chuckled. “Reprimanded _and_ lauded at the same time,” she recalled.

            “Well, changing everyone’s hair would have been impressive enough,” Casta opined, “but to make each one an entirely different color? For the _entire_ junior class?”

            “Well, you did half and I did half.”

            “It was still impressive.” She was quiet a moment as they slipped through back halls, avoiding the main party. “Are you worried about being leader? You’ll be great.”

            “No, I’m not worried about that. This is what I’ve been training for since I first came to Mystacor. No, even before that. This is all I’ve ever wanted, ever since I can remember wanting anything. I’m worried about… about us.”

            Casta stopped dead in the hallway. “Us? Spinner, you can’t think that I…”

            “Shhh! In private, please?”

            “There’s no one around!”

            “Not right now, but…”

            “Fine, fine. We’re nearly there anyway.”

            The bedroom set aside for the Great One was spacious and beautiful, of course, with windows along the roof to give a view of the night (at current) sky, a large desk, an entire wall of data crystals, and, of course, a sumptuously-cushion-y bed. It was weird to be in here right now though, when all of her brother’s little personal touches were gone and Spinner’s not yet put up (they were in a box on the desk).

            Spin shut the door behind her and sighed. Casta just went and tossed herself into a sitting position on the edge of the bed. “Come on, tell me what’s bothering you.”

            She was still leaning against the door. “I don’t want to lose you.”

            “You won’t!” Casta insisted. “Why would you?”

            “I’m the Great One now. I’m not supposed to show favoritism.”

            “Well,” Casta said with a shrug, “just don’t show it.”

            Spin lifted her head. “Oh, come on, Casta. It’s not that easy.”

            “Sure it is! Especially since you keep wearing that veil.”

            “It makes me feel better.”

            “I’ve told you before: you don’t need it. And especially not with me.”

            She sighed again and reached up to remove it. She walked forward into the moonlight, letting it illumine her hooked nose, her lips that she thought of as “too big,” her acne-scarred skin, her uneven teeth.

            Casta sighed and, with a wave of her hand, lit the sconces surrounding them. “You’re lovely to me, Light Spinner, and you always will be. And yeah, the Great One isn’t supposed to ‘play favorites’ but that doesn’t mean you have to push away everyone you care about. Micah didn’t.”

            “But that’s different. He’s your brother.”

            “How is it different? I love Micah and he loves me.” She resumed her feet. “Spin, you are the youngest Great One there has _ever_ been. You are powerful and beautiful and you are going to be _so great_ at this! And I’ll be right next to you to help you. You just have to be careful that you don’t treat me differently than everyone else, that’s all.”

            “How can I not? Everyone else has always treated _me_ differently, especially if they ever see my face.”

            “Well now they’re going to treat you differently because you’re the Great One,” Casta told her. “Because you’re their leader. And you _earned_ that.” She walked over and took both of Spinner’s hands in hers, giving them a squeeze. “And it doesn’t mean we have to give up what we have. I mean, no one else knows anyway. Except Micah, and he’s not going to tell.” She giggled. “Especially when he’s not even here. He’s busy with his new angelic bride.”

            Spin smiled hesitantly. “You’re sure this is going to be okay?”

            “It’s going to be fantastic,” Casta assured her. She pulled Spin in for a hug. “You and I are always going to be together. I love you.”

            Spinner held onto her tightly. “I love you, too, Casta.” She pulled back enough to kiss her.

            Casta met her lips with her own and then tugged her back towards the bed piled high with cushions and blankets. “Come on. Let’s go to bed.”

            “If someone finds you here…”

            “I’ll sneak out before dawn,” she promised. “I want to show my lovely lady exactly how great I think she is.”

            Spinner smiled that sweet, shy smile that had won Casta over in the first place.

 

 

            “Great One, I don’t think this is wise.”

            Casta watched Light Spinner narrow her eyes at the protesting voice. _Uh oh, you’re in for it now, buddy._ “Wise? I wish to learn more about how the Lunar Lenses work! Is this not a center for learning and education?”

            “O-of course,” he stammered. “But the Lenses are our sole defense! I don’t think that experimenting with them is…”

            She interrupted him. “… ‘wise,’ as you’ve said already. This is the best time to experiment with them, when we are safe! If the day ever comes when we are threatened, we will wish we knew more.”

            “And, as you’ve said,” Casta put in, “the Lenses are our _sole_ defense. Our only way to protect Mystacor. We need to find out everything we can about them, so that our only protection is as strong as it can possibly be.”

            There was some faint grumbling around the table at that, but no further voiced protests.

            “I promise, the experiments will be conducted with proper oversight and caution,” Spinner told them. “I would never do anything that might destroy the Lenses or endanger Mystacor.”

            Nothing else was said, but there was a general easing of tension in the air. The older, supposedly ‘wiser’ council members had given in. Casta smiled.

            “Then we’re agreed.” Spinner stood from her seat, prompting all others present to do the same. “If there’s nothing else?” She didn’t even wait for an answer, just stalked out of the room imperiously.

            Casta hurried to catch up with her. “You can’t blame them for their concern.”

            “I’m the Great One,” she replied. “My word should not be questioned.”

            “Normally it wouldn’t be. They’re just old and easily worried, especially when a new Great One wants to…”

            “I’m not ‘new’! I’ve been the leader for almost a year now!”

            “Anything that’s not a decade old is ‘new’ to them,” she muttered. She grabbed Spin’s hand, forcing her to slow down or break contact. As she expected, her best friend and lover chose to ease her pace rather than let go. “And you’re right: there’s nothing wrong with closer investigation into how the Lenses work. Any way to strengthen the shield even more would be…”

            “What if we did more than just strengthen it?” Spinner asked her.

            “Huh? What are you talking about?”

            “The Lunar Lenses are our only defense. We need it stronger, yes, but we also need more than that. We need a way to protect ourselves that’s _not_ just a shield to hide behind.”

            “Well, we’re also way up here, so…”

            “If they can get up here, they only have the shield to contend with. It’s not enough.”

            “Who’s ‘they’?”

            “The enemy.”

            “What enemy?” she asked.

            “Any enemy!” Spinner declared. “There aren’t any now, but who knows what the future could bring? Mystacor is my home and my responsibility and I _won’t_ let it be overrun and destroyed.”

            Casta frowned. “There’s no chance of that happening.”

            “And I’m going to keep it that way,” Spinner replied determinedly. “Mystacor needs more than shield; it needs a sword.”

            “Weapons?” Casta stopped, pulling Spin to a halt. “You want to make weapons?”

            “We’re _sorcerers_ ,” she declared. “We can do anything.”

            “Within reason.”

            “Anything,” she insisted. “And the Lunar Lenses are powerful artifacts. What if they could concentrate the moonlight into a powerful beam?”

            “You want to weaponize the Lenses?” It sounded ludicrous. She’d never even considered such a thing before.

            But Spinner nodded. “If possible. If not, then I’ll figure out something else.”

            “I don’t know, Spin…”

            “Casta, please.” She reached for her other hand and Casta gave it to her, of course. “I need your help. You and I have done everything together. Please, help me with this now. For Mystacor.” Her eyes pleaded for understanding and aid.

            She sighed and smiled and squeezed her hands. “For Mystacor. And for you.”

            Spinner hugged her and Casta hugged back. And then Spinner pulled away, walking quickly down the hallway. “I need to examine the crystals. Come on!”

 

 

            “There is no reason we cannot and _should not_ be the most powerful in all the realm!”

            Castaspella stared at Light Spinner. “Great One,” she began, because they were in public, because her friend and lover could only be her leader where others could see them, “Mystacor is an institution of learning and study. It is not meant to be…”

            “Not meant _by whom_?” Spinner hissed. “The only ones who could even think of challenging our power are the Princesses, and they only have that power because of their Runestones. Compare that to us, who have worked and toiled to learn the ways of magic. The Princesses are politicians,” she spat the word, “but we are pure in purpose and in dedication. We are not torn in our loyalties: we believe in the study and the use of magic, and were we to take our proper place, just think of all we could do for all the kingdoms under our rule!”

            “We can help the kingdoms without ruling them!” a council member protested.

            “But why _should_ we?” Spinner pressed.

            “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

            “Right? Is it right to subsume our power to others? Is it right to be timid about the use of our abilities? The Lunar Lenses are limited in scope and use, as my experiments these last few years have proven. We must provide other means for our own defense, and if we are to do so, why not expand the sphere of our influence?”

            “Through violence?!” another councilor cried.

            “Only if necessary,” she replied smoothly. “Surely a smart ruler will understand our proposal and agree willingly.”

            Casta shook her head. “This isn’t the way.”

            Spinner whirled on her, eyes narrowing behind her veil. “You’re supposed to be my second-in-command.”

            “I _am_. And it is as your second that I cannot…”

            “You should do what _I_ tell you to do, Castaspella. Look at you! Your love of magic runs so deep that you chose to honor it in your chosen name. You are a powerful sorcerer! It is not right to keep you locked away here.”

            “I am not ‘locked away,’ and I choose to stay here, for the students, for Mystacor.” She laid a hand on Spinner’s, hoping the touch would snap her out of it. “For you.”

            “Feh!” Spinner snatched her hand away from Casta’s. “You choose a prison. Literally!” She held her hands out. “We hide behind the shield and pray nothing bad breaks through. We rely on the other kingdoms’ protections. What if some outside threat appears? What if relations between the kingdoms break down and there is war?”

            “No such thing is even likely to happen,” a councilor pointed out mildly.

            “Does that mean it won’t? Can you guarantee such a thing? Does any of that mean that we should not be prepared for any eventuality?”

            “We can’t prepare for all of them.”

            “We can prepare for _these_. The best defense is a good offense, and I will not leave Mystacor’s fate in the hands of others. We can do this. We _should_ do this!”

            Casta stood. “We should NOT.” Her voice echoed through the suddenly silent chamber.

            Spinner rose slowly. “You cannot tell _me_ what to do. _I_ rule Mystacor, _not you!_ ”

            She stared into her beloved’s eyes. They were hard, cold, challenging.

            Casta stormed away from the table and slammed the door of the meeting room behind her.

            There was a knock about an hour later. Before Casta could even consider answering it, the door opened. _Well, there’s only one person who’d just let herself into my room._ She turned from her desk – and the letter she’d been writing to her brother – to face her.

            “Spin…”

            “How could you?” Her voice was low.

            “What?” She rose from her chair. “How could I what? Disagree with you?”

            “Stand against me in front of all of them?” She tore her veil off. “You were supposed to be the one person who would always have my back, who would always be by my side!”

            “And I am at your side, Spin! And that’s why I’m trying to get you to understand that…”

            “That I’m wrong?”

            She couldn’t think of another way to put it. “About this, yes.”

            “I’m doing this for Mystacor.”

            “You’re doing this to prove a point,” Casta shot back. She had no idea where that had come from, but the dam had broken. “You’ve always been upset because you think no one respects you so you’re trying to make yourself more powerful. But fear isn’t the same thing as respect, and there are lots of people here who respect you…”

            “Name one! They move against me and disrespect me at every turn!”

            “Disagreeing with your decisions isn’t the same as disrespecting you!”

            “I AM THE GREAT ONE!” Light Spinner roared.

            “NOT TO ME!” Casta yelled back. “You’re just Spinner to me, just Spin, my friend, my…” She dropped her voice. “My love. You know that, Spin. I’ll always love you, but You Are WRONG on this.”

            Spinner glared at her. “You’re supposed to support me.”

            “I do, but…”

            “You used to be right there with me, Casta. You and I, we were going to be the most powerful sorcerers in all of Eternia!”

            “And we _are_! Isn’t that enough?”

            “NO! Because it’s nothing without the _recognition_.”

            Casta sighed. “I’m tired, Spin. Just… I need to go to bed.”

            Spinner drew herself up. “I see.” She turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind her and Casta sank into her chair, feeling small and cold and alone. And afraid. For herself, a little; for the councilors; and, most of all, for Mystacor.

 

 

            It hadn’t been easy. She’d put up a fight. Of course she had. Entire hallways were nothing more than piles of rubble. Scorch marks and debris were everywhere. But, ultimately, she’d been proven correct, because once Light Spinner had been forced past the shield, she had lost sight of Mystacor. There could be no doubt: evil had taken over her heart.

            Casta rubbed between her breasts. She’d taken a bad hit. She had come up against Spin and hesitated at seeing the pain and betrayal in her lover’s eyes. And then that heartache had hardened into hatred and she’d felt the blast land. But that wasn’t the only pain in her chest.

            She wandered the shattered halls, lost in the memories: stolen kisses in alcoves hidden by magic so they wouldn’t be found out; hours lost to the library and the study of every spell, every principle, every theory there could be about how to manipulate the reality of the world without breaking it. Spinner’s shy, sweet smile, her hesitant confession.

            But Light Spinner wasn’t the same as the lady she’d loved. Not anymore. And Casta had stood at the shield’s edge and heard her lover’s howls of betrayal and anguish, her vows of revenge, her promise that this would never be forgotten. She’d whispered, “I’m sorry,” knowing that even if she had screamed it, Spin couldn’t have heard it. Not anymore.

            Sorrow overshadowing joy that she had, at last, become the Great One as she’d always wanted, but only after losing everything she’d already had. The scars on her body healed, but the ones on her mind and heart lingered, festering night after night that she spent alone.

            She oversaw the reconstruction. She didn’t know what else to do, so she fell back on the traditions of their ancestors, on the ways and rituals that had kept them safe, brought them harmony and safety. She spent long hours standing in front of Light Spinner’s statue. The council wanted to tear it down.

            “No.” Casta rubbed at her chest. “Sometimes in life, we make mistakes. Sometimes, things go badly even when we do everything right. Sometimes in life, we are hurt, and there are scars. The scars remind us. They are the lessons we have learned. Light Spinner is one such lesson, and a necessary one. She is not to be revered, but she can be …educational.”

            She darkened the statue herself, depriving it of the light of reverence the rest of the Great Ones had in the Hall of Sorcerers. _A lesson. A scar. A shadow cast by our own lights._ She had been elected, after all.

            But she couldn’t sleep at night. Not just because she missed having someone next to her, but because she missed her best friend, her closest confidant, her lover. She missed the warmth, the light. It was dark and cold here, no matter how many spells she cast.

            She wrote to Micah.

            He came, as she’d asked, but only to talk her out of it.

            “You can’t,” he said. “It won’t help, Castaspella.”

            “It _will_ help. Micah, I can’t sleep. I can hardly eat. I know I did what was right for Mystacor, for Eternia. But I can’t lead like this. I need to have my memory erased, Micah, and you’re the only one I trust to do it right.”

            He sighed. “This is wrong. This spell has been outlawed for so long… To tamper with someone’s mind…”

            “I’m asking you to!” she cried out, tears in her eyes. “I’m… I’m begging you. Please.” Her eyes pleaded for understanding and aid.

            He refused. They went through a quiet dinner with the councilors and he went to a guest room to sleep.

            In the middle of the night, there was a quiet knock on the door of the Great One’s bedroom. Casta still had trouble thinking of it as her room, even after all these months since her ascension. “Come in.” She was at a window, overlooking the beach with its tides of clouds.

            Micah walked in, shut the door behind him. “I’ll do it.”

            She turned to him and smiled gratefully. “Micah…”

            “I’ll do it and then I’ll destroy the crystal with that spell on it. Never again.”

            She nodded. “Thank you, brother.”

            “Lay down.”

            She went to the bed and obeyed. He sat on the edge of the bed next to her and, carefully cradled her head in his hands. “This may hurt.”

            “I understand. But it will be worth it.”

            He closed his eyes.

            She screamed.

 

 

            Micah returned to his wife and daughter feeling drained. His little sister thought of Light Spinner the way the novices did: as a Great One who had turned from the light to the shadows, who had sought power and control, and been cast out for these transgressions. She remembered everything that happened, everything that Light Spinner had been – except for what she had been to _her_.

            It had been careful, delicate work to remove the love and intimacy she had shared with Light Spinner from her without harming anything else. As far as Castaspella was concerned, she had been a fellow student at the same time, had become Great One, had fallen, and been exiled. There was no friendship there, and certainly no love. There never had been, and never would be again.

            She had slept well that night.

            He had slept poorly.

            The next morning, she asked him, “What’s this scar from?” while rubbing her chest, just under the star of her office.

            “You got in a fight.”

            “Did I win?”

            “Yes.”

            “Oh. I suppose that’s good.” And then she had laughed and asked him when he was bringing her niece for another visit, because she did so want to spend more time with her and why did Angella never return her letters?

            He destroyed the memory-erasing spell.

            Light Spinner was still out there, a powerful sorcerer with a grudge against Mystacor and his little sister. This incident cast a long shadow over the realm, and he feared this was only the beginning of the dark days ahead of them.


End file.
